Paul Ledder, Cornwall Sustainable Fish.

Our ambition to align with independent fishermen who have a shared belief in preserving and improving the future of our marine environment, cannot be better demonstrated than by our relationship forged over recent years with Paul Ledder.

Paul established his company Cornwall Sustainable Fish in 2020. After burning all of his suits and throwing his ties in the bin he started a journey of fishing single handedly out of Newquay harbour from his 4 meter vessel “Rana”, specifically targeting sustainable catches.

“I fish entirely by one hook, rod and line; casting all day, reeling in, catching one fish at a time. Meaning I can select the best quality fish that are ready for the table and release, completely unharmed, any fish that are undersized or too big, which will be big breeders for next year’s population of fish.”

Paul’s most targeted fish, Bass, has seen improved stocks in recent times as a result of tighter controls, including the removal of netting as a permitted method, and only certain vessels being granted licenses to catch the much adored fish.

“My aim is to take just what I need, no more, and we want fish stocks for the future generations to still be there.”

Supplying only our restaurants, Paul catches to order and delivers directly to Port Isaac. With a window of just 10mph, Paul carefully monitors the wind, tide and waves, searching up and down different reefs, no more than 3 miles off shore looking for any signs of fish and bird activity, while monitoring Sonar. When he feels the time is right, he casts his lure and hopes for the best.

Nathan recounts first meeting Paul:

“When I first saw Paul and what he was doing, I was amazed. A 4-metre boat, single handed and only using rod and line fishing…There you have it! That’s the way we keep fish stocks happy, and for me, it provides seafood that is in tip top condition and it is at its best when it should be caught and eaten”

Paul’s conscious decision to keep the ocean alive is an inspiration to us, and a true example of what we hope times to come will look more and more like as we celebrate and work with the ocean.